Opinion: App store accountability puts burden of responsibility back where it belongs — on tech companies

In recent Senate testimony, an anonymous Texas mother, “Jane Doe,” lamented how her 15-year-old son’s mental and physical health deteriorated after using Character.AI, an app marketed in Apple’s App Store as safe for children 12 and older. In a matter of months, the boy became paranoid, violent and homicidal. He lost 20 pounds after refusing to eat and even cut himself in front of his siblings. He is now in a residential treatment facility.

When Jane sued, Character.AI claimed her son was bound by the app’s terms of service he had “signed” as a minor, limiting its liability to $100. The case was forced into arbitration, where the company then refused to participate, leaving the family without recourse as their child remained in residential treatment.

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